


Push Back

by hibiren



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Banter, Humor, M/M, Massage, My First Promptio Fic, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Training, promptio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 11:56:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19887307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren
Summary: While Ignis and Noctis are away from camp fishing for breakfast, Gladiolus gives Prompto a chance to catch up on some much-needed physical training.





	Push Back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DistractedDream](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DistractedDream/gifts).



> I wanted to give writing promptio a try, so here it is! Thanks to DistractedDream for sparking the idea on twitter! This is my first promptio fic so I hope I did okay! I honestly had a lot of fun writing it :D

“One more. C’mon, Prompto. We can sit here like this all day.”

The crushing pressure of the boot against Prompto’s back increased. Sweat beaded down Prompto’s forehead and began to soak down into the dusty ground beneath him, which grew uncomfortably unsteady beneath his struggling stance; his arms threatened to give out at any moment in spite of himself but he knew, with Gladio, giving up was not an option he could risk.

Training with Gladio was never fun, but it was a necessity if he hoped to keep up with the others. Prompto managed to handle everything else with remarkable stamina, running wasn’t a problem - he had virtually no issue… until it came to push-ups. No matter how hard he tried, his body just would not comply. And complaining that he was getting tired only drove Gladio to be _more_ determined to make him work even _harder._

“I can’t,” Prompto pleaded, arms shuddering and muscles a screaming fire against the extra weight, “...I can’t - ”

“Yes, you can. All you have to do is push me back, that’s it,” Gladio hummed, sounding almost amused, “Or is that something a people-pleaser like you just can’t do?”

Ouch, that one stung a bit too much. Banter or not, it still hurt.

“H-Hey…!”

“Hey, nothing. Now _push back_ or I’ll add another twenty.”

Gladio’s boot pressed harder. By now Prompto imagined he had a shoeprint engraved into his back.

“...Right…”

Every muscle in his body begged to give in under the crushing - but ever-so-slightly-relenting, as seconds passed - force pushing him to the rocks.

“You can do it. If you can hold a camera, you can do a push-up. It’s not that hard. One more.”

A frustrated whine slipped past Prompto’s lips but he did his best to fight back against Gladio’s boot nonetheless, arms raising centimeters at a time while his entire straining body sparked with harsh jolts of tearing pain at the exertion.

“C’mon. Halfway there,” came Gladio’s voice from above, now echoing with confidence, and maybe even a hint of pride. “You got this. Keep going.”

 _I hate this, I hate this so much, I hate you, why did I agree to this, this sucks so much,_ Prompto cursed internally after forcing himself to keep going, pushing past all the pain and somehow still-surging adrenaline that had allowed him to stay put beneath Gladio’s boot for so long.

And then, his arms straightened out.

He _did it._

“I… I did it,” Prompto breathed in disbelief, staring astonished at his palms against the dirt.

A clap on the shoulder, and then Gladio brought Prompto to his feet and offered his body for the blond to lean against when he realized Prompto was too unstable to stand without his legs threatening to give out. “Good job. Knew you could do it.”

“Guess being a ‘people-pleaser’ has its perks… from time to time…” mused Prompto somewhat bitterly as he rubbed at his aching arms. Gladio offered his arm a sympathetic squeeze and the flash of pain nearly made him jump.

“Hey, be careful… Let’s go back to the tent, I’ll make it up to you.” Gladio smiled, a slight upturn of his lips. He effortlessly guided Prompto back into the tent and chuckled when Prompto flopped ungracefully against the empty sleeping bags. Ignis and Noctis weren’t back from their morning fishing - so no breakfast quite yet. They still likely had a little bit of time left before the others returned.

“How’re you gonna make it up to me, exactly?” Prompto asked, voice muffled because he was too tired to turn his head away from the faceful of sleeping bag his face was pressed into.

“You’ll see.”

And then Gladio’s hands went to work, guiding Prompto’s exhausted body into a less-sprawled position. Gladio was uncharacteristically gentle in his adjusting, taking note any time Prompto flinched - no matter how minute the response.

Without saying anything else, his hands traveled a slow path up Prompto’s back to his shoulders, and then down again. Prompto thought his eyes would roll back into his head when Gladio worked at a particularly awful knot in his lower back, but he had to applaud Gladio’s diligence. Slowly, his palms trailed upwards, fingers kneading expertly against every sore spot. He took special care with Prompto’s arms, giving them gently rhythmic squeezes to try to ease the fire-like burning in his muscles.

“Hope I didn’t get too out of hand, you’re really tense,” Gladio began, but stopped so he could pay attention to rubbing at Prompto’s shoulders.

“Sorry. You got me good today,” muttered Prompto, who finally found the energy to turn his head enough to raise his mouth from the sleeping bags.

“Mhm. But it’s worth it, though, isn’t it? The burn you’re feeling means you’re getting stronger.”

“Guess I don’t wanna be strong then, being strong hurts like a - oww!” His complaint cut off into a pained yelp when Gladio strategically dug his thumb into another knot.

Yet Gladio only chuckled at the complaint.

“We’ll keep working at it. One day at a time, ‘til it doesn’t hurt. You’ll get there.”

“...Yeah, I hope so… by the way, has anyone ever told you how sharp your thumbnails are?”

“You’d be surprised.”

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly I just love writing banter between all of the chocobros and this minific gave me an idea that I'm pretty happy with!


End file.
